Mingo Valley Expressway/Creek Turnpike open

Following many years on the maps, the long-awaited expressway loop across south Tulsa opened in 1992, with the Creek Turnpike utilizing the route between U.S. 75 and Memorial Drive and the Mingo Valley Expressway from Memorial Drive east and north to 71st Street, where the expressway's previous section opened in 1989. The expressway has interchanges at 81st Street (full), 91st Street (north access only), Mingo Road (eastbound exit only) and Memorial Drive (full). Excluding the aforementioned Memorial Drive interchange, the Creek Turnpike has interchanges at Yale, Delaware and Peoria avenues, and U.S. 75. Mingo Road, and Harvard and Elwood avenues cross the expressway/turnpike, but they don't have access. The expressway's completion allowed U.S. 64 to be rerouted by continuing along the Broken Arrow Expressway to the Mingo Valley Expressway and then following that expressway (also U.S. 169) south and west to Memorial Drive near 96th Street. At this location, U.S. 169 ends, but U.S. 64 continues south on Memorial Drive along its regular route. Prior to the expressway's opening, U.S. 64 exited the Broken Arrow Expressway at Memorial Drive and followed it south. This view, looking east from Mingo Road, shows the expressway crosses Haikey Creek at the big bend. This photograph was taken May 18, 1993.

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